IV fluids are generally supplied to a patient under the force of gravity by positioning a container containing the IV fluid at an elevated position relative to the patient. The rate of flow is set by a manually adjustable clamp positioned in the line between the bag and the patient. The fluid flows from the reservoir to the patient via a drip chamber attached to the lower, or outlet end, of the IV bag. The drip chamber includes a drop former which operates to generate discrete, successive drops which fall from the drip former into a reservoir defined at the lower end of the drip chamber from which fluid flows to the patient via an IV delivery tube. The drip chamber is transparent so that the drips may observed by an anesthesiologist or other medical personnel to insure that drippage is occurring and to further insure that the drippage rate is within appropriate predetermined limits.
It is especially critical that a proper rate be maintained and verified during surgical procedures. However, an increasing number of surgical procedures are being performed in a darkened operating room where the only light is a concentrated, local light at the site of the surgery. Under these conditions, it is virtually impossible to visually determine that drippage is, in fact, occurring and/or is occurring at the predetermined satisfactory rate.
In the past, various patents have issued with respect to devices for illuminating such drip chambers of IV bags. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,709, issued on Nov. 16, 1965 to Schneider et al., describes a drip meter with a reflector for facilitating the countability of transparent and translucent drops of liquid at low levels of general illumination. The device slips a resilient clip around the drip chamber. The resilient clip has a reflective surface facing the cental axis of the drip former at that stratum where the drips are formed. A small flashlight can be directed to the reflective surface associated with such clip so as to allow the user to determine the drip rate from the IV bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,090, issued on Feb. 16, 1971, to V. Deltour, describes a drop monitor for monitoring the flow of intravenous feeding. As successive drops fall pass a sensing point, a signal is initiated that it is made to endure for a period longer than the period required for the drop to pass the sensing point. An electro-optical sensing and indicating system causes the presence of a drop at the sensing point to modify a quantity of light reaching a light-sensitive sensor from a source.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,397, issued on Jun. 16, 1987 to Lynn et al., describes a medical fluid administration set and drip chamber. A clip is fastened around the exterior drip chamber and light is secured to the clip. The reflection of the drip across the light beam will cause a sensing of the drip rate associated with the drip chamber. The device utilizes a matte finish to alter the surface characteristic between the solution residing in the drip chamber and the drip chamber itself so as to prevent substantially upward splash back or bounce back of liquid drops impacting the surface the fluid in the drip chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,045, issued on Dec. 1, 1998 to F. S. DuPont, describes an infusion illuminator in the form of a lamp assembly having a housing, batteries positioned within the housing, a light source positioned in the housing empowered by the battery, a switch controlling the delivery of power from the batteries to the light source, and a clamp for releasably attaching the lamp to the upper end of the drip chamber. A rod extends downwardly from the clamp to position the lamp housing in freestanding relation to the drip chamber with the light source positioned proximate to but spaced from the drip chamber so that the light source is operative to illuminate the drip chamber and to verify the presence of a drippage flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,713, issued on Apr. 18, 2000 to O'Donnell et al., describes an intravenous drip lighting device for illuminating the drip chamber of intravenous bags during medical precesses that are preformed in a darkened atmosphere. The apparatus utilizes an adjustable pole that supports an intravenous bag support that is capable of holding multiple bags and a plate that supports a fiberoptic light housing which illuminates all drip chambers adequately with equally and differing colored light.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,612, issued on Nov. 25, 1997 to Lopez et al., describes a medical connection indicator with a light emitting device that is attached to a medical implement. The light emitting device is connected to the medical implement so as to provide illumination for the connection of other implements thereto. The emission of light in the dark environment of the operating room can facilitate the ability to make the proper connections through the use of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,214, issued on May 23, 1989 to Schrader et al., describes a glowing baby bottle nipple collar so as to facilitate the ability of the baby bottles to be retrieved in the dark without the aid of light. The retaining collar of the nipple can absorb and store light from any natural or incandescent light source and emit that light for an extended period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,587, issued on Jun. 14, 1994 to M. Fujita, describes a chemiluminescent device having a cylindrical, transparent and flexible container with a hollow and a groove capable of clamping to tubular articles. A ampule is provided in the hollow and contains two liquid substances for chemiluminescent. the liquid substances are capable of performing chemiluminescent when mixed with each other in the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drip chamber illumination device which illuminates the interior of the drip chamber.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device which provides illumination without the need for electrical connections.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an illumination device which is disposable subsequent to use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a drip chamber illumination device which magnifies the interior of the drip chamber.
As a further object of the present invention to provide drip chamber illumination device which can be easily fixed and removed from around the exterior of the drip chamber.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.